Boy diagnosed with brain cancer, adopted by Bearcats now attends games as healthy freshman

One Bearcat in the stands for Thursday's game at Nippert Stadium has a big reason to back the team.

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 5:14 PM EDT Sep 15, 2016

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT AMANDA, GOOD MORNING.AMANDA: GOOD LOOK -- GOODMORNING LISA AND MARK.WE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU SEEFRESHMAN MITCH STONE.HE HAS BEEN AT THE BEARCATS HASBEEN WITH THE BEARCATS AS 2009WHEN HE WAS BATTLING BRAINCANCER.AT AGE 11, MITCH WAS UNDERGOINGMASSIVE CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS,RADIATION, AND HAD A TUMORREMOVED.DURING ALL OF THAT TREATMENT, HEWAS PAIRED UP WITH A FOUNDATIONTHAT MATCHES KIDS LIKE MITCHWITH LOCAL SPORTS TEAMS FOR SOMEMUCH NEEDED SUPPORT.NOW MITCH WAS MATCHED WITH UCFOOTBALL TEAM.HE GOT SPECIAL ACCESS TO GAMES,THE FIELD, TEAM MEETINGS.THE PLAYERS AND MITCH HAD ASPECIAL BOND AND A MAGICALSEASON.THE BEARCATS WENT 12-0 THATYEAR.NOW MITCH HAS BEEN CANCER FREEFOR SEVERAL YEARS TO THE DOCTORSAT CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S AND THEBACKING OF THE BEARCATS.NOW, HE WILL ATTEND A HOME GAMEAS A UC STUDENT AND HE COULD NOTBE MORE EXCITED.>> JUST THE NEW START GOING TOUC.I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED GOING TO ALLTHE GAMES AND I AM REALLYEXCITED FOR THIS UPCOMING YEAR.AMANDA: SOUND LIKE SUCH A GREATKID.HE IS ACTUALLY AN ANDERSONTOWNSHIP NATIVE.THEY WILL BE CHEERING ON THEBEARCATS.

Boy diagnosed with brain cancer, adopted by Bearcats now attends games as healthy freshman

One Bearcat in the stands for Thursday's game at Nippert Stadium has a big reason to back the team.

One Bearcat in the stands for Thursday's game at Nippert Stadium has a big reason to back the team.

University of Cincinnati freshman Mitch Stone battled brain cancer and a grim diagnosis when he was just 11 years old.

Advertisement

“I was, like, really really sick; thin, shallow face,” said Stone.

He had a tumor and needed intense chemotherapy and radiation. His family felt helpless.

“It was hard to watch him be in pain, and watch him be so sick from the chemo,” said his mom Dee Stone.

A foundation with Children’s Hospital matched Stone up with the support he needed to pull through. UC’s football team adopted him and the connection changed everything.

“They let me go to the locker room, go to team meetings and stuff. It was almost like I was a part of the team,” Stone said.

“We had something to look forward to every week. I mean there we were, stuck in the hospital. It was like, 'Ok, who are they playing this week?' (We) read the newspapers. It was just something to focus on other than his illness,” said Dee Stone.

They prayed for Stone when he had an allergic reaction to the chemo and they weren’t sure he would make it through the night.

Eventually, doctors found a treatment that worked and Stone recovered.

Flash forward to the 2016 season and Stone now has season tickets in the student section. He said he'll be supporting his Bearcats just like they supported him.

“This is almost exactly how I pictured it. This is definitely the place for me. I've really enjoyed my first few weeks here,” said Stone.

Stone led the student section at Nippert Stadium in UC cheers for the first home game. His family believes the Bearcats helped cure his cancer seven years ago.

“Oh, I truly believe that was part of it. I truly believe that's why, in 2009, they went 12 and 0,” said Dee Stone.

“It's been amazing. It's been quite a journey from there to now. I'm just fortunate,” said Stone.

Now that Stone is in remission, he started the foundation Mitch’s Mission and raises money so other kids with cancer at Children’s Hospital can go to summer camp. So far he’s raised more than $75,000.